Remy Gardner became the first Australian in Moto2 history to claim three wins in succession at the Sachsenring, this afternoon’s thanks to a dominant six-second lead.
The race originally looked to be another strong KTM one-two before Raul Fernandez crashed out of second in the opening laps. Aron Canet and Marco Bezzecchi collecting the final podium places from Fabio Di Giannantonio and Sam Lowes.
The Moto2 grid was once again dominated by a KTM, this weekend in the hands of Fernandez, with the rookie’s teammate Gardner threatening from third. The soon to be MotoGP rider was joined by a second recently announced promotee as Di Giannantonio split the pair in second.
Fernandez launched for the hole-shot, Gardner following tightly behind as Di Giannantonio dropped to fifth and Simone Corsi crashed out at the second corner as the race fired up. A difficult start for Lowes saw the bruised Brit down in 13th with Jake Dixon and Joe Roberts rising to 10th and 11th respectively.
Gardner got the better of his teammate as lap three got underway, Bo Bendsneyder suffering a moment as he recovered behind Dixon in 10th. The Second Petronas of Xavi Vierge was circulating in podium contention, albeit there-seconds down on the orange bullets ahead, as the Spaniard looked to defend from Marco Bezzecchi with the Italian heading Canet and Di Giannantonio.
Disaster struck the rookie sensation on lap five with Fernandez sliding out at turn three, Canet rising to second with Bezzecchi third as Vierge dropped back to fourth position. Gardner now holding a five-second lead out front.
Dixon’s confidence seemed to be building as the Brit claimed another place, to eighth, before heartbreak saw him tumble down the standings. The 25-year-old recovering his Petronas to circulate in 25th after causing Augusto Fernandez to crash at turn 12, with the incident under investigation. Lorenzo Baldassarri suffering a similar fate at turn eight.
It was a solitary scene out front as Gardner continued to dominate the race. Canet running a further two-seconds ahead of Bezzecchi as Di Giannantonio made his move on Vierge and up to fourth.
Lowes sat on the back of the second group, in ninth, as Cameron Beaubier looked to make waves further back. The American improving to 14th from his 25th place start.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta was the next to succumb to the Saxony circuit after his Italtrans machine suffered a technical issues at turn nine, with the Italian forced to cruise back the pits. Somkiat Chantra taking an excursion through the gravel at turn one before recovering to 23rd with 12 laps to go.
Di Giannantonio looked to challenge Bezzecchi as he searched for a way around the Sky man, Vierge and Ai Ogura eagerly watching on as they circulated on the back of the battle with the group behind beginning to bunch up.
Lowes advanced to eighth as lap 21 began. The Brit circulating half a second behind Marcel Schrotter but immediately taking a bite, with a similar distance to Ogura ahead in sixth.
Seven-seconds was now the lead as the Australian started his 23rd lap running low 1’25 pace. Canet matching his speed almost exactly as the battle for the final podium place raged on.
The penultimate lap saw Bezzecchi beginning to reel in Canet as the gap dropped to less than a second but would tshere be enough time left for him to strike? Di Giannantonio seeming to have given up on the podium charge as he settled into a rhythm in fourth.
Late disappointment struck Vierge as the Spaniard crashed out at the first corner on the final lap, Roberts and Ogura suffering a similar fate - the latter at turn eight - as the Australian wheeled across the line for his third victory in a row.
Canet consolidated second from Bezzecchi and Di Giannantonio as Lowes picked up fifth in the late-race chaos. Schrotter, Jorge Navarro, Albert Arenas and Marcos Ramirez headed Beaubier in the top-10 with Nicolò Bulega, Alonso Lopez, Bendsneyder, Barry Baltus and Celestino Vietti picking up the final points positions. Dixon coming home at the back of the pack, in 21st.
